20 March 2013, News Wires – Brent crude rose toward $108 a barrel on Wednesday, recovering from a three-month low hit in the previous session, although uncertainty in the euro zone after Cyprus rejected bailout terms kept a lid on prices.
Cyprus’s parliament voted against a proposed levy on bank deposits as a condition for a European bailout on Tuesday, throwing international efforts to save the latest casualty of the euro zone debt crisis into disarray.
Brent crude for May delivery rose 38 cents to $107.83 a barrel early on Wednesday after a near 2% drop to a three-month low on Tuesday. The price fall was the largest for front-month Brent since November.
US crude for April delivery was up 19 cents to $92.35 after a 1.7% loss on Tuesday, the biggest daily fall since February.
“People are a bit wary about selling down too far as a compromise will probably occur even if it takes days or weeks to achieve,” Ric Spooner, chief markets analyst at CMC Markets in Sydney, referring to the stand-off between Cyprus and the European Union on the bailout plan.
“A lot of people believe that the ultimate resolution to this current situation will involve the EU financial ministers backing down a bit.”
The European Central Bank tried to calm markets on Tuesday by saying it was committed to providing liquidity within certain limits, even after it threatened to end emergency lending assistance for teetering Cypriot banks.
The assurance did little to lift the euro which remained near four-month lows against the US dollar in Asia.
“Sentiment is likely to remain negative towards the euro area, its bond markets and financial sector,” ANZ analysts said in a note. “This points to higher bond spreads, further weakness in the currency and weaker equity markets – a negative for commodities prices.”
In the US, the Federal Reserve will conclude a policy meeting later on Wednesday that could provide some clues on whether it will scale back its accommodative monetary stance.
“The Fed is unlikely to start winding back stimulus until the economy is improving at a good clip,” CMC’s Spooner said.
Any signs of a tighter monetary policy could strengthen the US dollar, a negative for dollar-denominated commodities.
Investors are also eyeing weekly oil inventory data from the US Energy Information Administration for demand cues at the world’s largest oil consumer.
US fuel stocks data released by industry group the American Petroleum Institute (API) late on Tuesday showed US crude stocks fell by 413,000 barrels last week against analysts’ expectations for a 2 million barrel rise.
